The European Stability Mechanism (ESM)

The fact that Greece pays an interest rate of only 1.17 percent for its 10-year government debt is a sign that the country is now implementing a credible policy, the head of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Klaus Regling said in an interview published Wednesday.

International rating agency Moody's on Thursday described Greece's planned early repayment of part of the loans issued by the International Monetary Fund as a "credit positive." Amounting to 2.7 billion euros, the payment was approved on Monday by the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

The boards of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) agreed on Monday to allow Greece to repay earlier a part of its expensive loan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), without paying an equal amount to the two organizations.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras sent a letter on Monday asking the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to approve the repayment of the expensive part of Greece's loan from the International Monetary Fund before it is due.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday that Greece has submitted its request for an early repayment of a chunk of its expensive loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), noting that the move "enhances the country's credibility, improves public debt sustainability indicators and saves resources for the Greek state."

Greece's Finance Minister Christos Staikouras will discuss a request for an early repayment of part of the country's outstanding loans to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during Friday's Eurogroup meeting in Helsinki.
Athens is keen to repay the IMF loan which is more expensive than the yields Greece currently pays in the markets on its bonds.

Greece may be saddled with heavy debt, but a lot of it involves loans provided on very favorable terms. Moreover, the continuing sharp decline in bond yields makes further borrowing an attractive proposition.

The head of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Klaus Regling, has left open the prospect of Greece not lowering its tax-free threshold as it agreed to with creditors, but Regling also signaled that the incoming Greek government's aim of lowering of primary surplus targets is at the moment hardly a sure thing.

President Klaus Iohannis participated on Thursday and Friday in the meeting of the European Council in Brussels, context in which he presented the results of the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council and reconfirmed Romania's firm support for the Eastern Partnership.

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Greece's chief creditor, in a regular report on the Greek economy has warned Athens to fully implement all reforms agreed to in the bailout memorandums, including a 3.5 percent of GDP primary surplus until 2022.

The report coincides with the Bank of Greece's announcement that it projects a 2.9 percent primary surplus for 2019.